Terri Proud, Arizona State Representative, Explains Abortion Email

A Republican lawmaker in Arizona said Tuesday that she thinks abortion providers are dishonest with women about the procedure and that is why she emailed a constituent that she would like to require women to watch an abortion before having one.

State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson) said in a statement Tuesday that "the abortion industry" has been "selling abortions" and that she would like to look at the health and safety of women. The statement responds to an email Proud sent to a constituent, saying that women should be required to watch an abortion before they receive the procedure.

"For too long, Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry have placed selling abortions above the health and safety of women," Proud said in the statement, sent by her office from her state email account. "My message to a constituent last week emphasized my concerns with how abortion providers have not been honest with women about the realities of abortion, and the short and long-term risks of this dangerous surgical procedure."

Proud -- who described herself as a "pro-life legislator" -- reiterated her support for several bills that have passed in Arizona, including a 24-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion and requiring a woman to receive an ultrasound before receiving an abortion. She said both laws are "steps in the right direction for our state."

"I'm thankful to be a part of a state legislature that has taken bold action in recent years to protect women and preborn children," Proud said in the statement.

Proud did not directly address the abortion-watching email, or the bill that provoked the email, which would make abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy illegal in Arizona.

Proud's original email was published Monday afternoon on a political blog on the Arizona Republic's website and called for the abortion-watching provision. The email answered a constituent who had emailed Proud to urge her to vote against the bill. The email was sent from Proud's state account and was unedited.

"Personally I'd like to make a law that mandates a woman watch an abortion being performed prior to having a "surgical procedure". If it's not a life it shouldn't matter, if it doesn't harm a woman then she shouldn't care, and don't we want more transparency and education in the medical profession anyway? We demand it everywhere else.

Until the dead child can tell me that she/he does not feel any pain -- I have no intentions of clearing the conscience of the living - I will be voting YES."

The email immediately touched off a firestorm from Arizona Democrats, with Rep. Matt Heinz (D-Tucson) describing the email as a "hodgepodge of crazy." Heinz, a physician, said the email showed that Proud did not realize that there are laws to prevent audiences at surgical procedures.

House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (D-Phoenix), who had described the email "going off the deep end," said it could be Proud -- one of Arizona's more conservative legislators -- showing a liberal side.

"Talk about big government, that's the epitome of big government," Campbell said Tuesday to HuffPost. "This is getting out of hand."

Comments

[homein831]

01:25 PM on 04/04/2013

I feel sorry for ms Proud. Her ignorance and obvious hate and distrust of women can only be rooted in deep self loathing. Her reference to the 'abortion industry selling abortions" is so far removed from reality it makes your head spin. That people as deeply flawed as her are able to gain any kind of power and prestige in the US is a clear indication of how pervasive the corruption is in the US.

[Rosella Alm]

01:39 AM on 02/05/2013

Did that Republican legislator watch face lift surgery before she had hers done? Some people can handle watching surgery, others cannot. Ms. Proud probably can't.

[jankantius]

01:04 AM on 01/05/2013

Are ultrasound machines really that expensive? I get regular ultrasounds and it doesn't seem a complicated proceedure. However I live in Canada where it's all single payer ... meaning it's paid for through income taxes and free to the patient, as are all medical procedures. So I have no idea of how much one might cost. I know the T-publicans will try to make them as expensive as posssible because they want to place an extra financial burden on women seeking an abortion. Sneaky little monkeys. Oh crap! Good thing I posted on this.. reminds me I have an appointment coming up soon. I better find out when. They get pissed off when I miss one!

[kateslate]

06:53 PM on 04/14/2012

I see a lot of ads for the "Lifestyle Lift" that I think might also not be truthful. Some women still have wrinkles in their necks afterward. If women want that procedure, should they be forced to view it being done beforehand signing up and plunking down their money?

[WillistonElkoAlum2002]

11:02 AM on 04/04/2012

Rep. Terri Proud is murdering women with her laws. Plain and simple. She needs to be prosecuted for sexual assault and murder.

[Will737]

12:38 AM on 03/24/2012

Only a stillborn mentality could refer to a fetus as a "preborn child". Who is this creature?

[flyby777]

08:52 PM on 03/23/2012

Should people be made to watch a coronary artery bypass graft before eating french fries? Should men have to watch a vasectomy before having one? The list goes on. "selling abortions" and "the abortion industry" are more ridiculous conservative catch phrases in an effort to force their religious beliefs on every American. How long before we have neither freedom of religion or freedom from religion?

[Joe Dombrowski]

11:01 AM on 03/24/2012

Most patients would refuse many ortho procedures if forced to view one, even highly edited. When the team brings out the hammers and other surgical tools, it would be all over. Abortion is a medical procedure, how can a state legislator force a profession to force patients to view a video of the procedure. What are the penalties for failure to do so (the DVD didnt play), who monitors such things?

Healthcare resources are limited. By forcing professionals to perform an ultrasound, play a DVD (and maybe get a signature on a form saying they did so) or any other added "thing" who pays for the required "thing?"

[ProgressivesLoveAmerica]

06:38 PM on 03/23/2012

What the GOP forget is that women do not want to be humiliated.

What these people forget is that you cannot force your views on other people.

What proponents of these attacks on women's rights forget is that they have women in their own lives that they most likely would NOT like to see ending up chronically ill, maimed in a devastating manner, humiliated, or killed as a result of this sort of legislation.

Terri Proud should take no pride in proposing this sort of thing.

She's attacking at least 43% of all women in this country!

[Paris215]

05:44 PM on 03/23/2012

What an absolute insult Ms Proud is inflicting upon us women! Does she really think that we are so ignorant as to the procedure, the trama, not only on our bodies but our psyche as well? It is not something chosen lightly, but a true drama for any woman. No kind of legislation can remedy or change the out come... She has lost touch with all reality and the real word decisions women must face. Enough!

[StarSongs]

03:20 PM on 03/23/2012

Since when is abortion considered a surgical procedure? And even if it were, are there ANY surgical procedures that require a patient view the procedure once before going under the knife? Lastly, how is that not going to violate the privacy of the patient undergoing the procedure they're forced to view? I imagine most women having abortions are unlikely to sign a waiver allowing an unnecessary viewing of their medical procedure by a complete stranger.

[West Coast Mona Lisa]

02:05 PM on 03/23/2012

Life is only sacred to Republicans before it is a real person. They can't stand real people. They only adore them when they're imaginery!

[West Coast Mona Lisa]

01:35 PM on 03/23/2012

Republican lawmakers should be made to take more responsibility for the children who are born before they have a right to talk about other people bearing children. They can pass single payer health care so all parents and children are covered, they can support universal pre-school and day care programs as affordable as those in Europe, they can ensure that ALL children will have access to a college education, that ALL parents will have jobs to support their children, that ALL children born will grow up with the assurance that their nation provides sufficient social security in their old age, and much more. Can't deliver? Then sit down and zip it on abortion. If you don't want one for yourself, then don't have one! That's as far as it goes.

[George From NYC]

11:29 AM on 03/23/2012

Does this idea for a new law mean that republicans will have to watch a lobotomy being performed before trying to pass some of their repressive measures?

[West Coast Mona Lisa]

01:38 PM on 03/23/2012

Doesn't sound like Terri watched hers before she had one!

[George From NYC]

11:27 AM on 03/23/2012

Terri Proud, proud to be ignorant that is.

[West Coast Mona Lisa]

01:46 PM on 03/23/2012

Easy for Miss Know It All to shoot her mouth off about other people's reproductive choices when she is not the one raising all these children she wants other people to have!

[TUNCH]

11:14 AM on 03/23/2012

I'm curious how many serious health issues the direct result of an abortion. Can the Representative provide any stats that show abortion is a serious health risk to the female? I'm not sure Planned Parenthood "sells" abortions...I think women "choose" to have an abortion...which is their legal right.